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(No Model.) SSheets-Sheet 1* W. 0. CHAMBERLAIN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

N 3, 2 Patented Nov. 22,1887.

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W. G. CHAMBERLAIN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets$heet a. W. O. CHAMBERLAIN.

FIRE ESGAPB.

No. 373,722. Patented NOV. 22, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

WILLIAM CARROLL CHAMBERLAIN, OF CEDAR BLUFF, VIRGINIA.

FlRE ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,722, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed August 12, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WTLLIAM CARROLL CHAMBERLAIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cedar Bluff. in the county of'fazewell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements in fire-escapes, having for its object the provision of simple and efficient means for raising and lowering a cage or car to or from any point of a building to which my invention is applied within a short space of time; also, for easily and readily opening.

the door of the cage or car for the admission of a person or persons, and to provide for the ready closing thereof; and the invention consists in the detail construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of a building with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the sliding carriage. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cage or car. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of said cage or car; Fig. 6, a sectional View of Fig. 5, taken at right angles thereto; and Fig. 7, a cross-section.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by the same letters of reference.

Referring to the drawing A represents the house or building to which my invention is designed to be applied, and to the front wall of this building, near the upper portion or cornice thereof, are rigidly secured, in any ordinary manner, the inner ends of the horizontal portions of L-shaped arms or brackets a, the meeting ends of the horizontal and vertical portions of said brackets being grooved or riveted together, or they maybe cast integral, the latter form being preferable.

B is a long horizontally-disposed cross-bar secured to the upper ends of the vertical portions of the L-shaped arms or brackets, the

Serial No. 246,739. (No model.)

same being preferably square in cross-section, as shown.

O is the sliding carriage, consisting of a front square-shaped frame, to the rear sides of k the upper ends of the side bars "of which are secured theforward endsot upper'right angular portions of two corresponding downwardlyextended arms, 0 b. To the lowerends of these downwardly-extended arms, and to the front surface of the side bars of the frame of the carriage C, are connected corresponding guidebars, 6 b, having grooves formed on their inner surfaces for fitting the same to said arms and side bars. The inner opposite sides of the ends of these guide-bars are tapered, as shown, from the points where secured to their respective arms and side bars, said tapered portions being extended to the outer ends thereof.

Within the space formed between the downwardly-projecting arms 11 and the side ha: 5 of the frame are disposed, near the upper ends thereof, two corresponding pulleys or rollers, (Z d, the axles thereof being projected through apertures formed in said arms and side bars.

To the rear side of the lower cross bar of the front frame of the carriage G is secured or formed integral therewith a rearwardly-projecting plate or ledge, (1, through an aperture in the center of which is passed the upper screwthreaded end of a hook bolt, D, the lower hooked end thereof projecting a short distance below said plate or ledge (1, said bolt being secured or retained in position by means of an ordinary nut screwed on the threaded portion thereof. In practice this carriage O is designed to slide on the squareshaped crossbar. B, said bar being hugged on eitherside by the downwardly projecting arms I) and the side bars of the front frame of the carriage, the flat-surfaced pulleys or rollers d d being designed to bear upon the upper surface of said cross-bar, so as to permit the ready moving or sliding of said carriage on said cross-bar as occasion may require, as hereinafter pointed out.

To the front surface of the upper cross-bar of the front frame of the carriage (l is secured, by a staple or other ordinary means, the upper end of a guideline, d for moving said carriage in the desired direction.

E represents the cage or car, of approximately skeleton formation, having the upper and lower ends of its corner-pieces secured to the ends of the side pieces by means of tongues and grooves or rivets; or, if desired, the same may be formedintegral. The material of which said cage or car is composed is preferably fireproof. The ends of the corner-pieces, as well as the side or cross bars, of the frame of my cage or car have a bottom connecting-piece, e, and to these corner pieces are secured at a point near the center thereof suitable connecting cross-bars, to the forward one, e, of which is secured, by means of screw-eyes e", a crossrod, 6, Figs. 5 and 6, serving as a pivotal bearing for a central normally-vertical bar or arm, F, said pivotal rod being passed through an eye formed in the lower end of said bar or arm and additionally secured at its outer ends by means of lugs ff, secured to the front surfaces of the adjoining corner-pieces, said lugs having apertured ends, wherein project the ends of said cross-rod e. To the normally upper free end of this bar or arm F is connected one end of a line, f, the purpose of which willsoon appear. At about the center of the space formed between the front corner-pieces of the cage or car, and over which projects the bar or arm F, is disposed a cross-bar, f and to the before-referred-to cross bars of the cage or car is secured a platform, f, at the ends of which may be disposed suitable seats for the convenience of the occupant or occupants of the'cage or car; In the center of the upper cross-bar of this cage or car is formed a'slot or opening, wherein thenpp er end of the bar'or arm F is designed to fit, and immediately in rear of this slot or opening is secured to said cross-bar a box or bearing, f, and in a slot formed in its central portion is'disposed apulley or grooved wheel, f", the axle thereof being projected through apertures in the sides To that side 'of the cage or car E opposite to that to which the bar or arm F is secured is disposed a door, G, of approximately oblong formation, the same being pivotally se cured on a cross-rod, 9, similar in all respects to the before-described rod 0', said rod g'be'ing passed through screw-eyes g, secured to the lower cross-bar of said door, the ends of said rod 9 being likewise secured in cars or lugs on the adjoining corner-pieces. To the lower ends of the vertical side bars of this door G are secured the inner ends of curved arms g g", the same being grooved or having a portion of their lower inner surfaces removed'to permit of the passage of the cross-rod g, the normally lower ends of said curved arms being designed to bear against the front surface of the adjoining cross-bar of the frame when the cage or car.

cage or'car.

the said door is drawn into a horizontal position. This door is so constructed as to fit snugly between the adjoining corner-pieces of To the upper ends of the sides of this door are secured the inner ends of outwardly-projecting arms h h.

In the upper corners of the corner-pieces of the cage or car, on that side to which the door G is affixed, are secured two small pulleys or grooved wheels, H H, projecting into corre spondingly-sized openings in said corner-pieces at a point opposite the arms h, thejournals of said rollers being projected through apertures formed in the sides of suitable boxes or bearings, h, secured in said corners, as shown in Fig. 6.

I I are two corresponding lines or chains passed ov'er said pulleys or grooved wheels H and securedeach at one end to the armsh h, attached to the sides of the door G, the other free ends of said lines or chains having connectedtheretosuitable weights, h h sliding in curved arms 9 coming in contact with the outer surface of the adjoining crossbar of the To the center of the rear side'of this crossbar of the cage or car is secu'red a short projecting plate, 1', and to this plate is secured a horizontal cross-bar, 1', extending parallel with the before-'referred-to cross-bar, thus forming beyond the ends of said plate z two openings or channels, '73,

J J are two normally-vertical rods, hav'ing upper hooked ends secured by means o'f'stapics 'to the upper crossbar of the cage or'car immediately over the door G, said rods being extended downwardly, so as to cause their lower ends to enter the openings or channels t before referred to, said lower ends of the rods J being permitted to freely swingfin said openings or channels when moved to one side, the weight thereof causing them to assume a vertical position as soon as released. The top of this cage or car G is composedof two curved 'or arched bars, 9' j, which cross at their centers,

"and are secured at their ends to the upper iends'of the corners of said cage or car, thus providing an open top for said-cage or car. Through an'aperture formed in the center of this top is 'passeda bolt, K, having an upper outer hooked end and lower screw-threaded port'ion,whereon works an ordinary nut forsecuring the same in position. To the upper hooked end of the bolt K is secured a single pulley, k, to which 'is attached one end of a lineor chain, passed up to andover a grooved wheel of a double pulley, lc,which is secured to the lower hooked end of the bolt D too of the carriage C. and said rope is then ex tended downwardly to and around thegrooved wheel of the single pulley k, after which it is again extended up to and around the second wheel of the double pulley 7t, and from thence said line or chain is extended in practice down to the ground or pavement, and is passed around a groovedwheel ofa second single pulley, k secured to a hook-bolt driven into the curbstone of the pavement in front ofthe house or building to which myinvention is applied.

From what has been stated it will be seen that by means of the line dflsecurcd to the carriage O, the same can be drawn or slid along the bar B to any desired point at which it may be desired to place the cage or car.

In practice that side of the cage or car to which the door G is secured is contiguous to the front of the building to which my invention is applied, so that when said cage or car is at or near the window from which persons are to enter the same the door G is, by means of the line h, drawn down into ahorizontal position and caused to rest upon the sill ofthe window, thus providing safe and easy means for a person to pass into the cage or car, the bars J being moved to either side when a person so enters, and after the person passes said door said bars will assume their normal vertical positions, thus barring the liability of any one falling back through the opening prior to the closing of thedoor G. By means ofthe linef and the bar or arm F the cage or car can be forced close into the wall prior to-the lowering of the door G, and held at the desired point until the persons desiring to en ter the cage or car have passed through the door opening.

Through the agency of the line or chain It and its pulleys the cage or car can be raised or lowered, as may be desired.

I do not restrict myself to the employment of a cage or car of the exact construction herein described, as it is obvious that any ordinary cage, car, or basket can be used to like advantage without departing from the spirit of my invention.

When not in use, the cage or car G is retained in a boxing or other suitable cover secured at one end of the building to protect the same from the weather.

When it is desired to use my invention, the single pulley 7&2 is secured to any one of sev eral hooked bolts driven into the curbstone of the pavement, and by pulling on the line or wire rope is the cage or car G can be removed from its boxing, and by pulling the line d the carriage, together with the cage or car, can be moved to any desired point, and by means of said line It and the pulleys said cage or car can be raised or lowered, as may be desired.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, with the square crossbar, of the carriage having rollers, the downwardly-projecting arms, the guide-arms provided with tapered ends, the cage or car, the operating-line, and the single and double pulleys, all arranged substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the cross-bar and the carriage, of the cage or car, the door having a line connected thereto, and the operating line and pulleys, substantially as" shown and described.

3. The combination, with the crossbar and the carriage, of the cage or car, the door secured thereto, the weighted cords connected to said door, the grooved rollers, the bar or arm, together wit-h its line, and the operating line and pulleys, substantially as shown and described.

4:. The combination, with the cross-bar and the carriage, of the cage or car, the door secured thereto, the weighted cords, the pivoted bar or arm, the weighted cord connected thereto, and the line secured to said bar or arm, together with the operating line and pulleys, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the crossbar and the carriage, of the cage or car having the central platform, the rods hung in said cage or car, the open top, and the operating line and pulleys, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the cage or car and the door, of the two normally-vertical rods hung over the opening of said door and having their lower ends pro jecting into openings or channels, substantially as shownand described.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- WILLIAM CARROLL CHAMBERLAIN.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS W. 'Wnvso, JAS. C. Sroirtrs.

ICC 

